My floor level layout is 95% 031 tubular classic (5% is Gargraves = one 98degree switch and one siding), mounted on cork roadbed on 1/8" luan raised up on 3/4" moulding, on mostly hardwood flooring.
I’m planning a (long seasonal?) expansion into the adjacent room. It will be one long reversing loop using about 50 feet of track and one switch. It will have to run on some hardwood and some oriental type area rug, resulting in issues with height differentials.
I would be using a combination of 036/048 (fastrack) or 031/042 (tubular) curves.
If I continue using tubular:
I will have to cut/stain/sand/varnish boards for the entire run, eliminating or modifying the mouldings to take care of the floor/rug height differences. Quite a bit of work, space consuming to store (if I am ever forced to take it down), but giving a reasonable appearence and reliable operation. It’s also a track system I’m familiar working with.
If I go with Fastrack:
I need to to find something suitable to put under the track/roadbed on the hardwood to give it the same height as the rug areas, will stay in place, and look neat and appropriate in my living room floor. —NEED ADVICE HERE PLEASE, I THINK THIS IS MY NO.1 ISSUE.
Although I didn’t see it on the RRS website, I assume there are transition pieces for Fastrack to 031?
Will the Fastrack running on wood floor and rug stay in place?
Can I accurately calculate my exact track needs using graph paper, or will I have to run back to the (expensive) LHS for bits and pieces?
Is fastrack magnetic, and will prewar stuff run ok?
Additional 031 question:
Lionel’s 042 switches, in ‘O’ guage profile, look different than their 031 and 072 switches. Is there a reason
FastTrack handles carpet fine, you can use no stick shelf liner on hardwood to keep it from sliding.
FastTrack uses the same material as Lionel O-31 so it is magnetic.
The O-42 “O” switches are the K-line units.
FastTrack does not allow for a lot of slop/fudging. Do your homework to make sure it all fits. You can use a miter/chop saw to make your own custom sections.
Yes, there are transition tracks that will mate to Standard O.
Stick on foam weather strip along the lengths of the outer edge of Fastrack will protect the hardwood floor and deaden sound. Weatherstrip works under tubular track ties as well.
I still think I would need some kind of underlayment under Fastrack on the hardwood to bring it up to rug level. The rug is thick wool with padding. Total thickness 1/2 to 3/4. And it would need to look nice. I’m looking for ideas on what I could use.
Alternatively, if I go tubular (not my first choice right now), are the 042 switches fully compatible and do they work well?
How about thick wool carpet with padding? You could make appropriately-shaped roadbed strips slightly wider than the Fastrack with (somewhat narrower) padding glued on underneath, color-coordinated with the rug or perhaps green.
I think the carpet idea is a good one regardless of which track you end up going with. If you can find a remnant that’s close to the decor you’re trying to match, its likely the most cost effective too.
As for the 042 switch you’re asking about, I don’t have that particular one. Those are K-Line by Lionel products, as mentioned earlier. If they are anything like the o27 profile switches K-Line made, I think they are better than Lionel’s in terms of smoothness, reliability, and appearance.
I currently have two layouts in my house. My permanent one is on plywood benchwork and has o27 profile track on grey stained cork roadbed. I’m hoping in the next month to add about 1000 of those rubber ties from that 3r plastic company that advertises in CTT and OGR. My temporary layout (around the Christmas tree; hey we’re a bit slow around here [:)] ) is all Fastrak o36 in a sorta dogbone shape.
I wanted Fastrak on the floor to keep the track off the carpet. Hopefully this idea kept carpet fibers out of the motor, and kept smoke fluid, grease, and oil off the carpet.
I would say to use tubular track, 031 or 042 track and buy either K-Line switches or GarGraves switches for decent quality switches. Lionel’s post war 022 switches are another good choice. New Lionel 031 switches are good for shotgun targets only!
Sectional or small pieces in Fastrac are rather expensive, at my LHS it costs almost $5.00 for a one & a half inch peice of Fastrac the same as a full ten inch straight. Other thing I have found with Fastrac is that it must be fit together just right or it causes a slight bend that makes derailments happen.
The switches that I know of being total duds are the 6-23011 series in O gauge track. Also I have been following some of the posts on here and from what I have read, I would venture to say that the Lionel switches in 031 track(not Fastrac) that came after the 6-23011 series were duds as well. Don’t know for sure about the brand new switches by Lionel in 042 or larger but I have stayed away from Lionel switches and I am using GarGraves switches instead.
Another reason that I like GarGraves switches is that when a switch motor does go bad all you have to replace is the switch motor and leave the track completely in place.
Have heard that the K-Line switches in 042 work pretty good, don’t have any so I won’t comment either way on those.
Also I am waiting to see what Williams by Bachman may do as far as selling track.
Sorry, I don’t know what a 6-23011 is - I assuem it is an 031 radiusLLionel switch? I have two Gargeraves, but regrettably am not a fan of them - they are not kind to pre war and seem to have sloppy mfg tolerances, plus they require shimming when used with 031 profile track. If I had to choose track other than Lionel (and that is why I am asking about Fastrack) I would lean towards Ross switches with Ross track or Gargraves track. However, if Lionel’s current traditional 031 track andswitch system is reliable, it has advantages, in my view, partly because it has the same traditional look - if it had the same reliability as psotwar ‘O’, it would have additional plusses for me.
The next best thing, with possible installation advantages for temp layouts , I thought might be Fastrack - but, to date, the feedback on the forum has not validated either supposition for me.